The Fresh Market, which has five First Coast area locations, has announced customers will be required to wear facemasks starting Tuesday, April 14.
The supermarket's new requirement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation earlier this month that all Americans wear non-medical masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Fresh Market is not requiring medical or surgical masks, which are in short supply and should be saved for medical workers, but rather cloth masks, which can be made at home using household supplies.
The Fresh Market is reminding customers to wash or sanitize their hands before putting on the masks.
Related: Local, State, And National Coronavirus Coverage
Like other supermarkets, The Fresh Market has also been implementing other measures aimed at improving health safety:
- Contactless credit card checkout (Related: A look at how contactless payment options work).
- Plexiglass shields at registers
- Increased cleaning and disinfection of touchpoints throughout the store
- Physical distancing. Shoppers are asked to stay two carts apart from each other. Floors are marked for guidance in lines
- 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekday shopping hour for seniors and those at higher risk of contracting COVID-19
- A limit to the number of guests in stores at one time, which will vary to comply with local ordinances
The Fresh Market is also recommending customers shop between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., a time that tends to be less crowded.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
